Measuring Real Wealth With Founder Of Curos

In the world of overexposure we need to make sure that we take ‘selfies’ of the root causes of our diseases, not the symptoms.

When I say ‘health’, I do not mean only physical health, but also emotional and mental health. There are many dimensions to human wellbeing. I’m aware of dozens of therapies available outside of conventional medicine that treat not only physical, but also mental and emotional disorders.

According to the The Journal of the American Medical Association, millions of people die of preventable deaths such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity. Besides genetic predispositions, there are also environmental factors and lifestyle choices that effect people’s health.

My hope is to see more medical practices and doctors turning to integrative medicine, which combines mainstream medical therapies with scientific & evidence-based alternatives-complementary therapies. Because our health is multidimensional, we need a multi-faceted approach to treat diseases. I believe this starts with prevention.

‘Pre-mortem’ is the philosophy I comply with. My grandparents always said that it’s better to be safe than sorry. Is it that the old sayings have life hacks embedded in them? David Goldberg, the CEO and founder of Curos, knows the answer to this not-so rhetorical question.

Curos is a company that launched a nutraceutical product specifically formulated to support the healthy cellular function of the human body.

Carina Ayden: As all great companies are, your company was born out of a real life problem: Your dad was diagnosed with Grade IV Glioblastoma and you wanted to support him by diving into the research yourself, which took you to the world of holistic medicine. What did you find during that “dive”?

David Goldberg: I could probably write the anthology of “What David Didn’t Know About…Well, Everything!” I will try and distill it down, but I will also say I learn new things every day.

1. Information related to holistic health is overwhelming, confusing, and often contradictory.
2. You have NO idea whom to trust.
3. Even once you’ve figured out what you (or someone you love) should be doing, getting the actual GOOD products to make that lifestyle possible can be a full time job (and expensive).
4. Definitely don’t wait until you’re sick to decide you want to be healthy…and if you think you’re healthy now, push yourself every day to be a little better…a little healthier.

I believe these things should not be problems. It’s 2017, and we hardly even need to drive our cars anymore! (Thanks Elon!) So why are we still playing cat-and-mouse with information related to our health and longevity?

Curos sets out to make what was a nearly impossible task for me, easy for you.

C.A.: Most herbs have minimal to no side effects compared to prescription medications, but can they be as effective as traditional medicine?

D.G.: It’s true that some natural medicines have little to no side effects, but not all natural things are good for you. For instance, you wouldn’t want to eat a bunch of hemlock!

That said, when we look side-by-side at reducing inflammation through pharmaceuticals or with a natural compound like curcumin. I would take curcumin 100% of the time because there are virtually no side effects and no potential for addiction.

So yes, I believe in many cases there are natural ways to support your health that are on par with their pharmaceutical counterparts.

The obligatory side notes (my perspective):

1. Western medicine and pharmaceuticals can be absolutely remarkable. The advances are unbelievable, and they keep getting better. You wouldn’t want to face a rupturing appendix without the advancements of modern science!

It’s just too often that we resort to pharmaceuticals and surgery as a FIRST and ONLY resort. To me, this is not logical. It’s a double-edged sword, the pharmaceutical companies, insurance companies, and hospital industrial complex have all made our healthcare into a profit center, and we as consumers want everything to be as simple as ‘take this one pill and call me in the morning.’ Our bodies are the most complex, beautiful organisms that we know of in the Universe, and we need to treat them as such – thoughtfully, lovingly and gratefully. We can’t just fix things overnight. This leads to #2

2. Taking a natural approach to our health is a life-long endeavor. It’s like steering a freighter ship; you can’t make an abrupt u-turn. You have to slowly turn one degree at a time, always making steady progress toward your goals. There are two challenges here:

a. No one has a crystal ball that can tell us how long we will live or what illnesses we will definitely get. So taking these natural approaches requires faith. You have to BELIEVE, and know in your heart that you’re doing the best thing for yourself, long term. We all have encountered those people who say, “oh, why do you eat so healthy and work out all the time? My aunt smoked a pack a day for 75 years and she was fine!” Well, ok, your aunt should be studied because she is an outlier. We do this because we believe. Furthermore, staying healthy is about more than “living longer”; it’s about living better. The question I hope to say “yes” to at the end of my days is, “did I live a fulfilled, happy life?”, not “Did I live a long life?”

b. When we do get sick – which, no matter how healthy we are, will probably happen at some point – natural medicine, holistic treatments, etc. are not going to work as aggressively or as quickly as pharmaceuticals or surgery. If we choose to go the totally holistic route, we need to have patience and faith…because it’s going to take time to work.

One last thought on this, because I don’t like to leave things incomplete: I believe in Integrative Medicine, which means use EVERYTHING available to us! We live in the most incredible time in history where the knowledge of the past can be supported by modern advancements. USE IT ALL. The key is to be accurately informed on all sides, and open to all ideas. All too often we think about our health the way we think about our checking account; it comes and it goes. We should be thinking about our health like an investment account; invest early and often in the right things and enjoy the dividends!

C.A.: Green Tea is an ‘old veteran’ known for its high antioxidant properties. But in just a few years, turmeric and ginger have been elevated to herbal remedy stardom due to their multitude of health benefits. Curos features some ‘newcomers’ like siliphos, berberine, and more natural forms of vitamins, probably known for centuries to the initiated ones, but to the general public they are completely unknown. Who helped you with formulation and do you have a star ingredient?

D.G.: Incredible question! Right…so many things! This is why at Curos we strive to do all of the research for you so you don’t have to. It’s A LOT!

Siliphos is an interesting ingredient; it’s a patented ingredient we source from Italy. What is it though? It’s the active ingredient in the fruit of the milk thistle plant! The active – and most potent – ingredient is called silybin. The challenge with milk thistle is that it is notoriously hard for your body to absorb. If you really wanted to get enough to support your liver’s ability to detox, you would have to take an amount that would be infeasible…(in other words, don’t just take the stuff on the shelf that says “Milk Thistle”; you’d probably be wasting your money and time.) So this particular brand is patented because the active ingredient is coated in a plant-based fat, which enables the active ingredient—silybin—to easily transfer through your cell walls like a water taxi carrying passengers. Thus, it is absorbed by your system, and actually has a chance to work!

Unfortunately, I didn’t just wake up one morning as a genius…far from it, in fact.

As I went through the process with my dad, I talked to dozes of ‘experts’ in every possible field. Ultimately, I was introduced to Dr. Josh Trutt, one of the world’s leading preventive aging doctors. He has a private practice in New York City… I could go on for days about Dr. Trutt, but he is actually the genius! Dr. Truttis my business partner at Curos, and I have the extreme privilege of calling him our Chief Medical Officer. He oversees all formulation, and ensures that anything we use is backed by significant amounts of peer-reviewed research.

Interesting tidbit: each ingredient (in its form, dose, and quality) that we use is supported by dozens of peer-reviewed studies and at least one human clinical trial to support its efficacy.

C.A.: When I started my company, EFFi Foods, I knew that I wanted to cross-pollinate high-quality food ingredients with nutraceuticals for maximum efficacy, to create healthier offerings to very stale and oversaturated snack categories which are among the top contributors to child obesity in the US.

I also researched many companies’ herbal blends so I know about the health benefits of individual herbs and some synergistic pairings but Curos is introducing a different approach by focusing on the intersection of herbs and nutraceuticals. I think harnessing benefits from two mediums is the pillar of holistic approach. So what makes Curos different and competitive?

D.G.: First, thank you for what you guys do at EFFi Foods. It’s inspiring, and your work does not go unnoticed or unappreciated!

For us, our difference starts with our approach. Science, Research, Integrity. Everything we do is translated from real science, quantitatively backed by peer-reviewed research and delivered with absolute integrity.

Curos for me is not about making money. I do this for my dad.

Dr. Trutt and I believe with all of our hearts that we can easily and affordably help people live healthier, happier, longer lives so they can do more of the things they love with the people they love.

We don’t wake up in the morning to compete with companies, we wake up in the morning to compete against aging.

C.A.: Your business model is set around ecommerce. I know that retail is a pretty brutal beast, but have you thought about working with selected retail partners?

D.G.: Ahh, you’re freaking me out!! Just kidding…kinda.

One of our company sayings is “head down, heart open.” We have SO much room for growth online, it’s where we have chosen to focus our energy. Of course, if anyone reading this is a retailer and wants to talk, email me: david@getcuros.com.

C.A.: Supplements and herbs are not regulated by the FDA, so it’s a very confusing and frustrating process finding potent and efficacious blends. Do you see the FDA starting to regulate the supplement market in the near future?

D.G.: Great question. I hope you don’t see this as side-stepping the question, but I try not to worry or speculate about anything that is out of my control.

C.A.: I’m one of those people who got thrown into the laundromat of our health system and barely survived it. I was in full “heavy duty” cycle. But I survived…I learned. The system seems to have a strange set up: is it failing us for a reason? They say there’s no money in healthy people or dead people; money is only made on the “in-betweens”.

Do you believe there’s money in healthy people?

D.G.: Wow what a question!

My spiritual self says, “I don’t believe money matters, rather, wealth matters, and wealth is measured in way more than just currency.”

That said, my pragmatic, capitalist self says “There is WAY more money in the products, foods, and services that keep people healthy. Let’s look at it this way: in the eight months my dad was going through treatment for brain cancer, his total medical bills (hospitalizations, medications, out-patient services and needs, equipment, etc.) topped over $375,000. For arguments sake, lets call it $400,000.

Now if we look at the revenue possibility by offering people scientifically proven ways to stay healthier, longer from the time they are 20 until they are 80, that’s 60 years of having a potential “client.” Over those 21,915 days that person would have to pay $18.25 per day to hit $400k.

The crazy part: this is money they are already spending. We just need to give them the incentive and reason to reallocate it.

By 2020, the wellness space will be over $880 billion per year in the United States. Supplements alone, over $40 billion. So YES, I believe there is money in healthy people…I also believe those of us who create products have a moral imperative to make our products healthful.

Here is the challenge. Only through my experience building Curos have I really learned how…shall we say, “diluted” the wellness space actually is. Unfortunately, there are those who know the space is going to be $880 billion soon and are jumping into the gold rush without any consideration for people’s actual health. There are A LOT of companies out there whose main interest is profiteering…not helping people to be healthy. Thus their products often are as bad or even worse for you than the original bad product they’re meant to replace.

So the good news: there is money in keeping people healthy. The bad news: as consumers, we need to be VERY cautious about what products we take, and we need to take the time to educate ourselves about what is—and what is not—actually going to help keep us healthy.

C.A.: What other vehicles, besides your product, do you want to explore to drive further the awareness of prevention?

D.G.: We have some serious stuff in the pipeline. I am not at liberty to talk about it at this moment—simply because I LOVE a good surprise. Stay tuned.

C.A.: What is the most cherished advice you got from your dad?

D.G.: One of the blessings and challenges with my work is that I cry pretty much every day thinking about my dad. This question made me well up.

Hopefully when I have had ample time to reflect on everything that made him so special I will write a book, because there truly was that much good stuff.

If I had to share one thing that has been resonating lately:

“Grit your teeth and go!”

The context of this was, don’t wait for someone else, for something to happen, or for a perfect set of circumstances. Don’t be foolish and think it will be easy, you wouldn’t appreciate it if it were. So whatever it is to you, “grit your teeth and go!”